STRIX. 123 



web finely speckled. Tail pale buff with 45 dark bars, tip whitish, and the 

 inner web of the lateral feathers pure white. Under tail coverts and tarsal 

 plumes white; under wing and thigh coverts white with small dark spots; 

 facial disc pure white with a rufous spot in the corner of each eye. Bill yellow- 

 ish white , irides black ; cere flesh coloured. 



Length. 13 to 14 inches ; wing 1 1 ; tail 2-5 ; tarsus 2-5 to 275. 



Bab. Throughout Europe, India, Beloochistan, Afghanistan and Ceylon, 

 extending through Burmah. Gates says it is abundant in Pegu and Arrakan, 

 andCapt. Bingham records it from near Moulmein. In Burmah it is found chiefly 

 in woods. It breeds in holes of trees or in the ground. Eggs 5 in number. 



119. Strix Candida, Tick. j. A. s. B. ii. p. 572 ; Jerd. in. ind. o. 



pi- 3; Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 118, No. 61 ; Gould B. Asia, pt. xxiv. ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. B. M. ii. p. 308; Glaux Candida, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xix. p. 513 ; Ball, 

 Str. F. 1874, p. 381 ; Hume, Rough Notes, ii. p. 345 ; id. Nests and Eggs, 

 Ind. B. p. 60. Strix Candida, Hume, Sir. F. viii. p. 83 ; Gates, Str. F. 

 x. p. 181. The GRASS-OWL. 



The whole of the plumage, with median and greater wing coverts, dark glossy 

 brown, the feathers yellow at the base, this colour being more or less mixed with 

 the brown, according to the disarrangement of the plumage ; each feather with 

 a small spot of white near the tip ; lesser wing coverts pale orange-buff spotted 

 with brown ; tail buffy white ; the central feathers completely barred across 

 with dark brown, the others successively less barred, the outermost feathers 

 being nearly pure white ; the quills in general orange-buff, barred with brown, 

 and the tips also brown ; the whole of the face and sides of the neck white ; a 

 patch of black in front of the eye ; whole lower plumage pure white ; the 

 abdomen, under wing coverts, sides of the breast and body spotted with brown ; 

 irides very dark brown ; bill horny ; legs livid. (Jerd.) 



Length. 14 to 14-5 inches ; tail 5-2 to 5-5 ; wing 13-3 ; tarsus 3-1 to 3-2. 



Hab. India, Burmah, Upper Assam, and the Indo-Chinese sub- region ; 

 also the Phillipine Islands and N. Australia. Jerdon says he procured it on 

 the Neilgherries at about 6,OOO ft. elevation, also in the Carnatic and in 

 Central India. According to Tickell (Jerd.), it is found throughout Bengal 

 and the Upper Provinces. In Burmah Colonel Lloyd got it at Toonghoo. 

 In Eastern Bengal it is common, and lays its eggs on the ground during 

 November and December. In Dehra Dhoon a young bird was shot by Mr. 

 R. Thompson during March and April. As its English name implies, it lives 

 in long grass. 



Gen. PhodihlS hid. Geof. St. Hilaire. 



Facial disc irregular, the area above the eye being not equal to that below 

 it. Wings rounded, reaching to nearly the tip of the tail ; 1st quill equal to the 

 loth , tarsus frail ieied, inner toe longer than midtoe ; outer toe reversible. 

 17 



